A NATIONAL BAPTISM, Sermon Notes for 1st Sunday in Lent, 9 March 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide 

 1 “Moreover... all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. — " 1 Corinthians 10:1

 The plan of God for His elect has not changed since Eden. Aware of man’s depravity, the Lord has given stark lessons to prove to us that we can, in no wise, earn our own salvation, but are in need of a Redeemer/Savior in Christ. God did not have one plan for the Old Testament saints, and a new, revised version for the New. From the promise made to Eve, confirmed in Abraham, and proclaimed in Job 19:23-27 – 23 

Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead In the rock for ever! 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And mine eyes shall behold, and not another; Though my reins be consumed within me. 

 The same Redeemer of which Job made referenc is the same as that mentioned in the covenant promise stated in Psalms “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” Psalms 111:9 This Redeemer and covenant is the same fulfilled in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Abraham was saved by faith in the same Redeemer in whom we have placed our trust in these latter days. He was saved by faith in his trust of the coming Redeemer just as we are saved in the sure knowledge of the accomplished fulfillment in Christ, our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. Please consider a little recognized relationship between our Gospel Text today from the Gospel of St Matthew, chapter 4, and the Red Sea crossing recorded in Exodus and further explained in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4,

 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

 There is an amazing symbolic comparison between our Lord’s baptism and time spent in the Wilderness being tempted of the Devil, and the Children of Israel and their Dead Sea and Wilderness experience. It is a point I had not considered until delivering my sermon this morning. We are told in the Gospel text that our Lord Jesus Christ was first baptized in the presence of the full Trinity of God – that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Afterward, He was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. Though His temptation was great, He never succumbed to the wiles of the Devil but always answered each temptation with “it is written” – or, the Word of God – a principle that would save us likewise from many dangers of temptation. 

19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. . . . And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians Exodus 19-20, 24-25 

 Please note a couple of salient points in the text from Exodus:

1. The entire nation was baptized in the Sea (1 Cor 10:2) 

2. The children of Israel were under the protective Eye of the Lord in the Cloudy Pillar by day and Fire by night – but not only in leading, but also in following to protect there rear echelon. “and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:” 

3. The Lord Himself was in the Pillar: “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud.” It is a joy to know that God not only leads us, but has a following protection for His people then and now. 

4. After destroying the armies of Pharaoh, the children wandered forty years in the wilderness being face with, and often succumbing to temptations. What lesson was the Lord teaching us in the Gospel account from the Gospel of Matthew and that of Exodus? The entire experience was to prove that we are not able to overcome the devil by our own strength and can, in no wise, EARN our salvation. Just as the Children of Israel failed in so many ways in the Wilderness to keep God’s Laws and Commandments, so can we not keep them today without a Redeemer and His imputed righteousness. 

Though we failed in the Wilderness, for forty years after baptism in the Sea, Christ prevailed against Satan in the Wilderness for forty days after baptism. He thereby proved His calling as Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and King. God fed us with that temporary bread from Heaven (Manna) in the Wilderness, but in our present wilderness of worldly passions and wickedness, He feeds us with the Living Bread that came down from Heaven – Himself! The notion that God changes in periods of dispensation is false. His plan is constant and unchanging, though we may be blessed with dispensations of greater understanding and revelation of His Word. There is so much more to these truths than that which can be related by my frail penmanship and sermon, but the full answers are available in the Golden Book of Heaven – the Holy Bible. In the Name of the Father ,and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. See less